Diagnostic systems are used by technicians and professionals in virtually all industries to perform basic and advanced system testing functions. For example, in the automotive, trucking, heavy equipment and aircraft industries, diagnostic test systems provide for vehicle onboard computer fault or trouble code display, interactive diagnostics, multiscope and multimeter functions, and electronic service manuals. In the medical industry, diagnostic systems provide for monitoring body functions and diagnosis of medical conditions, as well as system diagnostics to detect anomalies in the medical equipment.
In many industries, diagnostic systems play an increasingly important role in manufacturing processes, as well as in maintenance and repair throughout the lifetime of the equipment or product. Some diagnostic systems are based on personal computer technology and feature user-friendly, menu-driven diagnostic applications. These systems assist technicians and professionals at all levels in performing system diagnostics on a real-time basis.
With the advent of the microprocessor, virtually all modern vehicles have come to utilize onboard computers to control and monitor engine and electrical system functions. Such vehicle onboard computers typically interface with a multiplicity of sensors and transducers, which continuously detect vehicle and engine operational parameters and provide representative electrical signals to the onboard computer. The data collected and processed by the onboard computer can be useful in the diagnosis of vehicle engine and electrical system malfunctions. Thus, the vehicle onboard computer typically includes a communication port connector that allows certain of the collected data to be transmitted to an independent computer analyzer, which may process the data, store the data, or present the data in a visual format that can be interpreted by vehicle maintenance and repair technicians.
In conjunction with these technological developments, a variety of specialized computer analyzers, or vehicle diagnostic tools, have been developed and marketed to provide vehicle maintenance and repair technicians access to the data available from the vehicle onboard computers. The current technology includes a variety of hand-held vehicle diagnostic tools, frequently referred to as scan tools, with considerable processing capabilities, typically incorporating an integral display and capable of displaying the onboard computer data in a variety of graphical formats that allow vehicle technicians to view and interpret the data.
The diagnostic procedures for diagnostic systems utilizing equipment this sort are typically developed by experienced technical experts or professionals. The technical expert or professional provides the technical experience and knowledge required to develop complex diagnostic procedures. Thus, the efficacy of the diagnostic procedures, in particular the sequence in which the diagnostic procedures are performed, is highly dependent on the expertise of the technical expert or professional authoring the procedures. The diagnostic procedures for diagnostic systems of this sort are typically developed by experienced technical experts or professionals. The technical expert or professional provides the technical experience and knowledge required to develop complex diagnostic procedures. Thus, the efficacy of the diagnostic procedures, in particular the sequence in which the diagnostic procedures are performed, is highly dependent on the expertise of the technical expert or professional authoring the procedures.
Thus, existing diagnostic systems have a disadvantage in that the sequence of execution of diagnostic procedures is highly dependent upon the expertise of the technical experts and professionals who author the diagnostic procedures. The technical experts and professionals often do not have access to complete information regarding historical outcomes of diagnostic testing that has been performed, and in particular, statistical information regarding the historical outcomes of diagnostic testing. As a result, diagnostic testing can consume unnecessary time and cost, because it is based on incomplete information. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus for optimizing the sequence of diagnostic test procedures that can be executed on diagnostic systems, such as a medical diagnostic systems.